Hybrid Campers

[C. Hains]

I'm curious to know how many hybrid owners there are out there and I'd like your views on your hybrid.  Who is the manufacturer?  Are you completely sold on hybrids?  What do you like about your hybrid and what don't you like about it?  Do you regret the purchase of a hybrid?  How do they tow compared to a popup? Etc.........
Thanks,
Carole

[Gone-Camping]

Sounds like you need help making a decision!?!?

I bought a Trail Cruiser C23-B just under a year ago. I had been looking at everything out there, pop-up's, hybrids, 5th wheels, and motorhomes. While the only thing that I ever really wanted to start with was a pop-up, after three of them in a five year period, it came time to move into something bigger.
 
At issue were a few things...
*** First and foremost was the need to gain access to the trailer without a lot of work. Raising the roof, pulling out the beds, setting the galley, and moving everything else that stayed permanently stored inside the PU everytime I wanted to tinker around in it was a pain. Loading the stuff for a trip and unloading afterward was just getting to be too much.
 
*** Second was comfort. While the PU was leaps & bounds over my tent camping days, I just had to have something I could sit in. I had back surgury about 13 years ago, and not any seat will work for me. What I had in the PU were just plain uncomfortable, and having spent enough time on rainy days or rainy evenings stuck inside the trailer on those uncomfortable seats really bothered me.
 
*** Third was the cranking. I shattered my elbow a couple of years ago (right before I got the Coleman Rio), and that made the physical end of the set-up a problem too. I wound up buying a $200 DeWalt 24v drill to help, but it was still a lot of work. Since I'm not getting any younger, I wanted something simpler to set-up.
 
*** Fourth was the lack of space. The PU was nice, and the Coleman was roomier than my first two, but still very tight inside with 2 or 3 of us in there on a rainy day. While I may be a single person, I rarely camp alone, and space became a serious issue.
 
*** Fifth was the size & location of the refridge. The one in the PU was way too small to hold enough food for a long weekend. Couple that with the fact it was way down on there on the floor (remember my back surgury?) and bending over or dropping to my knee's for access was just a bit too much. The fact that I had to pop up/down just to access the refridge at home was another problem.
 
The Hybrid by contrast has pretty much taken care of all those problems...
 
1st... access is simple, unlock and open the door, walk right in!
2nd... Comfort was pretty much taken care of by the sofa, it is contoured and I can sit on it for more than 5 minutes.
3rd... Nothing to crank! enough said
4th... I've now got more space than I know what to do with it. A year later and still have one or two empty cabinets!
5th... Big 2 door refridge, includes a good size freezer!
 
There is only one thing I don't like about the Hybrid over the PU...shear size and what it does to my gas milage when towing. But the positives far outnumber the negatives. While a PU still holds my interest, I doubt I'll ever go back to one. Matter of fact, I kind of have my eyes on a fully hard sided one. Frankly speaking, I think I'd like to do away with the canvas all together. I do have some kind of mental hang-up there though, I've ALWAYS camped under canvas...even now! However, the thought of not having to deal with the issues concerning canvas (wet storage & tearing etc) sounds better to me with each year I grow older!
 
BTW, my next unit will likely be another Trail Cruiser. I am also looking hard at the Springdale line by Keystone.
 
Satisfied? You bet!

[C. Hains]

Thank you so much for your response - that is SO helpful.  I really appreciate it.  
You got it right on the money - I do need help making a decision.  I guess now I wonder if I will have any trouble towing a light weight hybrid with my Xterra - it has a towing capacity of 5000#.  I've looked at several hybrids that are pretty light weight.  My Xterra tows my Cloeman Westlake fine.  Except for the gas milage I have to remind myself that I am towing something.  It's a pretty capable little SUV, but I don't want to make the same mistake I made the first time and get more camper than my tow vehicle can handle!  
I wonder how towing a hybrid feels different from towing a popup.  
Thanks again for your help.
Carole

[dee106]

we have a hybrid too, we have a starcraft 21sso 2003, we like ours very much, has everything in it, has plenty of room, we have a full slide so it is very roomy to walk around in. we have the full bath, mirco , stove with oven, a/c furance, nice fridge/freezer, stero am/fm/cd, lots of lights, power antenna. outside gas grill, two queen size beds, and a sofa, and dinette   lots of places to store things,
 
it's great to be able to walk inside at anytime and get something out of the fridge, or to use the bathroom. works well on long trips, we make lunch and rest inside, don't have to use the public restrooms, and we save on food because we can eat in the trailer. and rest on a sofa instead of a hard bench!
its also nice when its raining you can sit out the rain inside, and drop the beds when it stops, and if its just the two of you , you can make do with the sofa bed, or the table bed.
 
There is a thread on hybrid's here, look for the forum!
 
down side of it!
 
the back bunk doesn't get good heat, so we use an electric blanket in the cooler weather,
 
the unit is bigger, and heavy, so it needs something bigger to tow with, (more gas) double axle so more tolls $
 
 
 
its taller so backing up is tricky,  
 
a lot more pro's then cons for us! no more cranky it up and down in the rain, or late at night! is the biggest pro!

[Gone-Camping]

I'm not sure how your Xterra will do with it, not all tow vehicles are created equal. I'm using a 6 cyl Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 5000# tow capacity and pulling a 23' Trail Cruiser (biggest thing I could find and still fit in under the tow capacity). While the Jeep has done the job admirably, it does have it's limits and let's me know that every time. The extra drag not only reduces fuel mileage, it also makes the little Jeep run a bit hotter. With the higher operating temperture, I can't use my A/C when towing, and that is a real problem for this yankee living here in the south!!!

I knew when I bought this trailer that I was pushing the envelope. It was in the plans right along to buy a bigger tow vehicle, so I got the biggest thing I could tow, which shouldn't be so bad once I get the F-150 or F-250, which at this point is not likely to happen until this fall or next spring. But no matter how I look at it, a bigger truck is in the near future for me!

[campingboaters]

While I claim to be NO expert on tow capacities, I would caution you to get a camper that weighs no more than 3500-4000 lbs LOADED and watch your tongue weight to be under 350-400 lbs loaded.  THAT is actually a tough thing to do with some of the hybrids.  A friend just got a Rodeo with a tow capacity of 4500 lbs and that almost put her out of the hybrid market unless she gets the smallest one out there.
 
That being said, I LOVE my hybrid.  I LOVE not having to set it up to load everything in (or carry EVERYTHING in the truck with us).  I LOVE the extra room we have with the 19 foot box (and beds out of the way).  I LOVE that I was able to get a unit with a comfortable sofa.  I LOVE the large fridge, inside stove, built in microwave and sink.  I never cooked inside with the pop-up, but with the microwave and exhaust fan, cooking inside the hybrid is GREAT!  Everything stays inside and I do the dishes right there.  I make more stuff in the microwave so I use less pots and pans.  I get as big a camper as some 26 foot trailers, but because the beds don't take up the living space, the tow size of the unit is much smaller and it weighs less.
 
The only thing I WISH we could have gotten was a slide out on the side. Because of parking restrictions, we had to get a smaller unit and they didn't have slide-outs.
 
Good luck in your search and stick around here if you get one!  It makes NO difference if you pop-OUT or pop-UP!  

[Gone-Camping]

I'd liked to have gotten the slide-out too, but that would have put me over the top! My C23-B weighs 3025# dry (700# more than the PU), and with all the options is 3321#... Add in 700-800# of 'stuff' and I'm only around the 4100-4200# area. To me I'm over the 75% rule but under the listed 5000# capacity, so it's a gray area (really gray). But for now it works, I try and stay near the coast for the most part, makes it easier to tow.

[dee106]

While I claim to be NO expert on tow capacities, I would caution you to get a camper that weighs no more than 3500-4000 lbs LOADED and watch your tongue weight to be under 350-400 lbs loaded. THAT is actually a tough thing to do with some of the hybrids. A friend just got a Rodeo with a tow capacity of 4500 lbs and that almost put her out of the hybrid market unless she gets the smallest one out there.
 
That being said, I LOVE my hybrid. I LOVE not having to set it up to load everything in (or carry EVERYTHING in the truck with us). I LOVE the extra room we have with the 19 foot box (and beds out of the way). I LOVE that I was able to get a unit with a comfortable sofa. I LOVE the large fridge, inside stove, built in microwave and sink. I never cooked inside with the pop-up, but with the microwave and exhaust fan, cooking inside the hybrid is GREAT! Everything stays inside and I do the dishes right there. I make more stuff in the microwave so I use less pots and pans. I get as big a camper as some 26 foot trailers, but because the beds don't take up the living space, the tow size of the unit is much smaller and it weighs less.
 
The only thing I WISH we could have gotten was a slide out on the side. Because of parking restrictions, we had to get a smaller unit and they didn't have slide-outs.
 
Good luck in your search and stick around here if you get one! It makes NO difference if you pop-OUT or pop-UP!

you should of looked at starcraft  we have a 21 foot with a full slide it's only a foot longer then yours.

[campingboaters]

We actually looked at the Starcraft, but it didn't work with everything else we wanted/needed in a camper.  We felt that we lost a lot of storage space with the slide (because of the floor plan), but more importantly, we needed to stay under 20 feet for where we park it.  If they make a 19' with a slide... we are upgrading!  

[tlhdoc]

Good luck with your hunt.  I hope you find the trailer that will meet all of your criteria.

[dee106]

We actually looked at the Starcraft, but it didn't work with everything else we wanted/needed in a camper. We felt that we lost a lot of storage space with the slide (because of the floor plan), but more importantly, we needed to stay under 20 feet for where we park it. If they make a 19' with a slide... we are upgrading!

i'll keep looking for ya!, we have more than enough room for us, did you ever thing of putting hinges on the hitch???:J this way you can fold back/up the front and shorten the space!;) :J